Finished with Engines by Colin Lock

18/06/201517/04/2021

Finished With Engines

by Colin Lock

Qantas longhaul flight engineers 1941 – 2009

When QANTAS’ last Boeing 747-338 VH-EBV departed Sydney on 20 January 2009, a 67-year association between QANTAS and flight engineers departed with it. This book recalls the story of that sometimes difficult association and gives details of all the men who proudly wore the purple and gold epaulettes in those years.

Although primarily concerned with the rise and demise of the flight engineer’s position within QANTAS, a substantial amount of QANTAS history is covered in the book. Also included are short biographies on each of the 500 flight engineers who flew with QANTAS.

The book has 360 A4 pages with 60 mainly B&W images, and includes an index.

To order a copy, contact the author via email on qffeo@yahoo.com.au or write to ‘Book’ PO Box 1, Cronulla, NSW, 2230. The book retails for A$25 plus P&H.

ISBN-10 0646581562

ISBN-13 978-0646581569

1932 The de Havilland D.H.50 aircraft VH-UEM, flown by H.F. Baker and carrying Norman Stuckley and Paddy Whelan of the Lasseter Reef Company, crashed during a flight from Forrest to the Livesey Ranges in Western Australia on 22 December 1932. They repaired the aircraft over the next five days and Baker and Stuckley successfully flew the damaged aircraft back to Forrest, Whelan being rescued several days later. Source: Parnell, N. and Boughton, T., Flypast, A record of aviation in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988.

1941 No. 453 Squadron RAAF suffered its heaviest losses in one day as the Squadron attacked Japanese troops and transports and provided air cover to Allied ground troops in Malaya on 22 December 1941. Five Brewster Buffalos were destroyed and another four damaged, with three pilots being killed. On 24 December, with only three working aircraft remaining, No. 453 Squadron withdrew to Singapore and merged with 21 Squadron. Source: Gillison, RAAF 1939-1942, p.280

2000 Just prior to Christmas, Ansett grounded seven of its Boeing 767 aircraft on 22 December 2000 after an employee discovered that required inspections had not occurred in March. The mandatory inspections were performed with CASA supervision. A Boeing Alert Service Bulletin was then rediscovered (but did not become public until April 2001). Hairline cracks were discovered in the horizontal tail surfaces of some aircraft. Cracks were then found in the engine pylon mounts of three aircraft along with a crack in the tail of one that remained grounded after Christmas. These were similar to those that doomed an El Al Cargo Boeing 747. CASA placed conditions on Ansett operations and maintenance procedures, although it emerged that CASA had granted Ansett an extension for inspections a year previously. CASA had adopted a new systems audit approach to apply management programs to airlines. The ATSB also investigated the groundings and compliance of CASA, Boeing and Ansett as a safety deficiency issue. Sourcs: Australian Financial Review, 17 April 2001; Sydney Morning Herald, 13 April 2001; Australia Aviation 6/01 (Ansett Chronology). via aph.gov.au website